McCain Foods has launched a new research collaboration with the Farming Smarter Association in Alberta as part of a broader effort to diversify potato varieties beyond the longstanding Russet Burbank.

The initiative, based at a commercial plot operated by Farming Smarter in Chin, Alberta, involves field trials of four alternative potato varieties under six different agronomic treatments. The goal is to generate third-party data to support the adoption of new cultivars suitable for processing at McCain’s local food production plant.

“We were really excited when [they] came to us expressing interest in getting into the potato research that they’re doing,” said Amanda Crook, lead agronomist at McCain Foods, during a recent Farming Smarter field school event.

Russet Burbank, a variety over 100 years old, continues to dominate McCain’s acreage contracts with local growers. However, the company is seeking to move away from sole reliance on the variety by 2030, citing the need for improved efficiency, disease tolerance, and sustainability traits in the supply chain.

“It does the trick, but I think there’s opportunity for us to discover varieties that are improved, that have better efficiencies, water fertility, better pest and disease tolerances,” Crook noted.

The partnership with Farming Smarter marks a strategic move by McCain Foods to address a longstanding regional research gap in Alberta. “I would say that there’s been a [research] gap in Alberta. We are often looking to other regions to help fill our knowledge gap here because the research is not happening locally,” said Crook.

While McCain is investing in variety development globally, the need for localized data remains critical for grower confidence. “As a producer, there’s a lot of you who get confidence when you get third-party data. It’s not McCain telling you that this is the best variety,” Crook said. “It’s validated, non-biased, third-party research that’s going to give us the data straight as it is.”

The company aims to provide growers with comprehensive agronomic packages and best management practices for each new variety it introduces. “Our core principle is not research, it’s growing the world’s best french fries,” said Crook. “We’re excited to see what the trial results are, and how we can continue to build our relationship going forward and be able to provide our producers, our growers, with the best economic information to kind of set them off on the right track when they do onboard a new variety on their farm.”

McCain Foods is one of 32 companies currently engaged in research contracts with the Farming Smarter Association.